Dr Tobias Bischof-Niemz – Energy modelling in the South African Power and Energy

08/16/17 • 107 min

The current draft version of South Africa's Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2016 Draft) plans for a renewable energy share in domestic electricity production of 18% by 2030, 26% by 2040 and keeps that share constant at 26% until 2050. The plan limits the amount of renewables that can be built in any given year and therefore arrives at these relatively modest renewables shares until 2050. The CSIR conducted a study that lifts the renewables new-build constraints and re-optimises the power mix until 2050 from a pure least-cost perspective. The preliminary results of this unconstrained model outcome will be presented. The least cost scenario exhibits a large amount of solar PV and wind in the power system by 2050. With a much larger share of these two variable renewables (VRE) in the power system, the immediate next question is how to bring in the concept of sector coupling (electricity, transport and heat) in order to reduce total energy system cost even further (through the portfolio effect) and in order to de-carbonise and de-risk the transport sector (through reduced liquid fuel consumption and imports). The principal outline of such a fully integrated energy sector based on electricity as the new primary energy source will be outlined. About our speaker: Dr Tobias Bischof-Niemz is the Centre Manager: Energy at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria, where he leads the establishment of an integrated energy research centre and a growing team of scientists and engineers. Before joining the CSIR, he was with South Africa's electric utility Eskom in the Energy Planning Unit, where he was part of the team that developed the long-term power-capacity expansion plan (Integrated Resource Plan - IRP) for South Africa. Dr. Bischof-Niemz is member of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Energy (MACE) that advises Minister Joemat-Pettersson on long-term, strategic energy topics. Presentation Slides — PDF (8.5 MB)

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Hanno Retief – Comparing sequential vs. incremental software development models

What is Agile really? Is waterfall really bad, and if so why? How does one makes sense of all the buzz words thrown about in today’s software development environment. Hanno Retief will present a comprehensive comparison of the most commonly used models, characteristics, their benefits and when to apply which. Over the past decade, Hanno has held multiple positions in software development, both in technical and managerial positions. Having spent 5 years leading software development teams, he has become a passionate advocate for applying the right software model to the right problem and developing organisational process to cope with business demand. With a background in economics, he has always leant towards a systems thinking approach to problem solving. Presentation Slides — PDF (1.8 MB)

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Priscilla Mensah and Sepo Hachigonta - Showcasing South Africa’s investments in Systems Analysis

The talk will showcase a collection of peer-reviewed articles by promising young scientists and their academic mentors. The research is contextualized by South Africa’s multi-year investment framework in research and capacity development for systems analysis through the NRF and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). This seminal publication serves as a valuable resource for policy makers, researchers and postgraduate students; providing tools and an analytical foundation for the management and governance of natural resources, disasters, and climate change for the technological and ecological transitions to sustainability. The book, edited by Priscilla Mensah (NRF), David Katerere (TUT), Sepo Hachigonta (NRF) and Andreas Roodt (UFS):
• Serves as a valuable resource for policy makers and also postgraduate students conducting research using systems analysis thinking.
• Provides an analytical foundation for the management and governance of natural resources, disasters, and climate change
• Includes scientific and strategic analysis to better understand the dynamics of future energy transitions, their main driving forces, enabling factors, barriers, as well as their consequences
• Improve our understanding of ecosystems and their management in today’s changing world
• Provides support for policy makers in developing rational, realistic and science-based regional, national and global strategies for the production of fuel and food.
Dr. Priscilla Mensah is Director in the Human and Infrastructure Capacity Development Directorate of the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa.
Dr Sepo Hachigonta is Director of Strategic Partnerships at the NRF of South Africa.